


1st Night of Forever

by theartofbeinganerd



Series: 1 Night (+9 Months) Series [4]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: And Romance, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, I Can't Believe They're Finally Getting Married, One Night Stand AU, There is absolutely no angst, Weddings, just pure fluff, oh and, oh the fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 15:49:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14621958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theartofbeinganerd/pseuds/theartofbeinganerd
Summary: Three years after the wedding that changed both of their lives forever, Jemma and Fitz are finally getting married, and officially becoming the family that they've built with Evelyn over the past few years - and they (and everyone around them) couldn't be happier about it.*The Fitzsimmons Wedding in my 1 Night 'verse, first started in 1 Night (+9 Months)*





	1st Night of Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so I've wanted to write the 1 Night wedding since Fitzsimmons got married in canon, but I didn't have the time or inspiration for it, so I kept putting it off. But, today is the three year anniversary of my blog over on tumblr, and I decided that I would finally write this as a little celebration of that - after all, 1 Night (+9 Months) is still, without a doubt, my most popular fic, and it seemed fitting then to choose this as my anniversary fic.
> 
> I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone that has shown me so much love and support over the past year by reading, liking, giving kudos, reblogging, and commenting on my fics - this is for all of you!

The first thing that Fitz was aware of upon waking was the faint scent of what was unmistakably coffee lingering in the air. He furrowed his brow in confusion, wondering why there was coffee in their flat – neither he nor Jemma even drank it.

“ _Jemma_?” he mumbled groggily, reaching a hand out to try and find her, but ended up only flailing his hand about through empty air. “Jem?” he repeated, rolling over slightly to see if she’d just drifted away a bit in her sleep.

_Bam!_

Very suddenly and very fully awake now, Fitz popped up from his new seat on the floor, glancing around himself with wide eyes. It was only once he registered that he’d fallen off of the couch in Hunter and Bobbi’s flat that he remembered –

Today was the day that he was going to marry Jemma Simmons.

“You alright, mate?”

Fitz’s head swiveled around at the sound of Hunter’s voice, and he found his friend peering over the back of the couch, looking entirely unconcerned about the fact that Fitz had just fallen off of it. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m…fantastic, actually.”

Hunter arched an eyebrow at him, folding his arms over his chest. “Whatever you say. ‘Bout time you got up – Bob was just about to head over to yours to meet up with the girls. Figured that we should probably start looking like we’re doing _something_ to get ready, yeah?”

“What time is it?” Fitz asked in alarm, immediately checking both of his wrists for his watch. Upon finding them bare, though, he fumbled to his feet and began searching through the overnight bag that he’d packed last night before he’d left Jemma and Evelyn at their flat.

In nowhere near the hurry that Fitz was in, Hunter turned to glance into their kitchen, presumably at a clock, as he then replied, “Ah, it’s about a quarter to nine. We’ve got plenty of time; you’re not tying the knot ‘til three anyway.”

“But we have to be to there for twelve-thirty,” Fitz reminded him, hurriedly digging his phone out of his pants pocket from the night before, typing out a couple of quick texts to his other groomsmen, a friend of his from work named Mack, and an old friend from college, Trip, to let them know that he was up and passing along Hunter’s address.

“ _So_? It’s not like _we’ve_ got hair and makeup to do,” Hunter pointed out, disinterestedly watching Fitz fumbling through his bag for everything that he needed.

Pausing halfway to their bathroom with an armload of toiletries, Fitz shot an unamused glance over his shoulder at him and reminded him, “And _this_ is why you’re not my best man, Hunter.”

Insulted, Hunter dropped his arms to his sides and raised his eyebrows. “What? _Why_?”

“It’s far too much responsibility to trust you with,” Fitz replied simply, just as Bobbi appeared from the bedroom, the garment bag holding her bridesmaid dress over one arm and a travel mug of coffee in the other hand. “Oh hey, good morning, Bobbi.”

“’Morning, Fitz,” she replied, before turning to Hunter and telling him plainly, “Fitz is right, stop complaining.”

Hunter threw up his hands in disbelief, gesturing pointedly to Bobbi’s bulging stomach as she passed him. “I’m responsible! I’m going to be a _father_!”

Bobbi snorted at that, muttering, “Which is why your first words when I told you that I was pregnant were ‘oh shit’, right?” And while Hunter was still sputtering for a reply, she turned to Fitz and said, “Alright, I’m off; anything you want me to pass along to the bride-to-be?”

Fitz mulled that over for a moment, but when he had a burst of inspiration, he asked her, “Actually, can you pick something up on your way over?”

It wasn’t until after a beaming Bobbi had left with his careful instructions that Hunter muttered petulantly, “At least I’m _here_ ; your supposedly ‘responsible’ best man couldn’t even bother to be involved ‘til the day of.”

Just stepping into the bathroom, Fitz half-turned back to face Hunter, reminding him dryly, “I wasn’t there until the day of _your_ wedding either.” And with that, he closed the door behind him.

Fortunately, Hunter was a bit less… _Hunter_ once Mack and Trip joined them, and they managed to keep themselves on schedule in order to get to the venue in time; which, with Hunter directly involved, was nothing less than a miracle.

From the beginning, Fitz and Jemma had both agreed that they loved the idea of an outdoor wedding, and had spent a bit of time looking into nearby venues for it that weren’t too expensive, so as to fit their budget. Luckily for them, their wedding was a relatively small affair, with only family and close friends in attendance, so they’d been able to find a cozy little park not too far away to rent out. It was absolutely beautiful, as well, with lovingly tended gardens and trees that arched over the ceremony space to provide an extra air of intimacy.

When they arrived, Fitz was relieved to find that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky; he’d been checking the weather every hour for days now, just to make sure that it hadn’t changed to include rain in the forecast. But, the sun was still shining, and it didn’t appear that that would be changing any time soon, thankfully.

Though, to be honest, even a full-on thunderstorm wouldn’t have been able to keep Fitz from finally marrying Jemma.

There was a building situated just off of the park where the wedding party could finish getting ready, and they’d barely taken more than a dozen steps inside of it before Fitz heard a familiar cry of, “Daddy!”

Instantly, a grin spread across his face, and he handed off the garment bag containing his suit to Mack so that he could bend down to scoop Evelyn up. “Evie, sweetheart, you look _beautiful_ ,” he praised, dropping a handful of kisses on her rosy little cheeks. He’d missed her and Jemma _dearly_ last night and that morning, so used to spending each and every day with them.

He’d, of course, known that he’d see Evelyn when he got to the park, but, he was well aware of the fact that he wouldn’t be seeing Jemma until the ceremony. And, suddenly, the reminder that the next time that he saw Jemma, she would be walking down the aisle and about to become his _wife_ …

It left him utterly speechless.

“Thanks!” Evelyn piped up, beaming up at Fitz and reaching up to fiddle with the blue bow in her hair.

“You probably shouldn’t do that, Evie,” Fitz warned, using his free hand to gently tug her little hands away from the bow. “You don’t want to mess up your pretty hair.”

“Pretty!” she parroted, just before snuggling more fully into Fitz’s shoulder, apparently content to cling to him after not seeing him for most of the day.

Chuckling, Fitz readjusted his hold on Evelyn and told the other men, “Looks like we’ve got a little guest for the time being, guys.”

“No complaints here,” Mack assured him with a deep chuckle of his own.

On their way to the room designated to them, they happened to pass by the one where Fitz knew that the girls would be getting ready. He could hear the faint sound of laughter drifting out into the hall, and his heart leapt into his throat as he thought of Jemma in there, wearing a _wedding dress_.

But, he had to shake it off, because if he allowed himself to think about that, he’d get so distracted that he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on getting _himself_ ready. He sat with Evelyn while the other guys got dressed, and listened intently as she told him all about her night with Mummy and aunt Daisy.

When it was time for Fitz to get into his suit, though, Trip held out his arms to Evelyn, coaxing her to him gently, “C’mon girl, we’ve got to get you back to your mommy.”

Evelyn didn’t look so sure, glancing between Trip, who she’d met a handful of times over the past couple of months, and Fitz, who finally assured her, “I’ll see you real soon, Evie, I promise. Go check on Mummy for me, okay? Gotta make sure she’s all ready.”

At that, Evelyn finally agreed, “’Kay,” letting go of Fitz to hop into Trip’s waiting arms, and the two disappeared from the room shortly after.

Once Fitz had changed into his suit and was just finishing up with his tie, Hunter strode over, reaching out to take over and straightening the tie for him. “How you feeling, mate?” he questioned, arching his eyebrows curiously. “I remember being a right mess right about now on my big day.”

“I…” Pausing, Fitz took a moment to take stock of himself, but found absolutely no nerves whatsoever. In fact, the one thing on his mind just then, wasn’t even about his wedding at all. “I’m actually thinking ‘bout the fact that the last time I wore a suit was to your wedding.”

Obviously taken aback, Hunter leaned away from him, giving him an odd look, as though he’d grown another head. “Well that’s…alright, I guess?”

“No, I just…” Distractedly, Fitz reached up to card his fingers through his hair, trying to explain, “That was the day that I met Jemma, so…so I haven’t worn a suit since I met her, and now I’m wearing one to marry her, and…”

“ _Ah_.” Hunter finally nodded in understanding, apparently finished fiddling with Fitz’s tie and stepping back, eyeing him for a moment before giving another nod in satisfaction. “Yeah, gotta be honest, I never thought you two would ever be _here_.”

For a brief moment, Fitz was a little insulted by that. But, then he admitted, “Yeah, I guess I didn’t for a while, either. I mean, I had myself pretty convinced for a bit that I wasn’t interested in Jemma as more than a friend and the mother of my child, but…even when I did realize that I was in love with her… Well, I never thought that she’d ever feel the same, let alone that we’d be getting _married_ someday.”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” he insisted, waving a hand as though brushing Fitz’s words aside. “I knew you two were crazy about each other for quite a bit of time. But, truthfully, I never thought you’d get up the courage to actually make that first move, and especially not to seal the deal someday.” When Fitz immediately narrowed his eyes, he held up his hands defensively. “Just being honest! You were always the first one to admit that you were rubbish with girls, after all!”

With a grimace, Fitz had to agree, “Okay, fine, _maybe_. But, I did get up the courage, and that’s all that matters – it’s not like it’s ever going to be a problem for me again.”

“That’s the spirit!” Hunter clapped him on the shoulder and offered him a wide, supportive grin.

The time spent waiting for the ceremony to begin after that seemed at the same time agonizingly slow and surprisingly quick. Fitz had a short chat with Jemma’s parents and brother, and talked with his mother for a bit, who simply couldn’t stop repeating just how proud she was of him.

And, of course, the statement, “I’ve been waiting for you to marry that girl since you first introduced us,” was spoken by his mother during the conversation, embarrassing him thoroughly.

But, then, Fitz was finally standing underneath the flowered archway next to the minister, with all of their friends and family perched in chairs before him, and he was very abruptly aware that he wasn’t prepared at _all_ (in his own defense, though, he didn’t think there was anything he could’ve possibly done to fully prepare himself for this moment).

His hands began to shake as he dazedly watched Oliver, then Grace and Evelyn walk down the aisle, followed by Mack and Charlotte, Bobbi and Hunter, and finally Daisy and Trip.

Then, the music picked up at the same moment that his heartbeat did, and Jemma appeared at the end of the aisle, and his lungs very simply _refused_ to work any longer at the sight of her, with her wedding dress flowing around her and her eyes sparkling and so much awe and love on her face.

She was…she was _beautiful_.

No. No, she was more than that.

She was… _everything_.

\--

With Evelyn perched on one hip and carefully holding her wedding dress in her free hand, Jemma hurried through her flat, sidestepping stray toys as she entered the kitchen and carefully draped her dress over the back of a chair. She wasn’t running late, per se, but she felt as though there was _so much_ to do even before they could leave to head over to the venue.

“Hey, want me to get Evie dressed for you?” Charlotte offered as she joined Jemma in the kitchen, finishing the glass of orange juice that she’d been drinking and setting it in the sink. She’d just arrived, and though her younger sister could be a bit of a mess sometimes, Jemma was grateful for the extra help; Daisy had spent the night with her and Evelyn, but she’d jumped in the shower after Jemma had gotten out, and taking care of a toddler while trying to prepare for a wedding wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to do singlehandedly.

“Yes, thank you,” Jemma sighed in relief, handing Evelyn off to her aunt. “The top left drawer of her dresser has some more casual clothes that we don’t mind as much getting messy – she’s no doubt going to do _something_ to them, and I’d rather it be those than her dress.”

“Got it!” Charlotte called over her shoulder, already heading down the hall to Evelyn’s bedroom.

Just as Jemma was going through her mental check-list once more of everything that they needed to bring with them to the venue, the front door opened and Bobbi’s voice rang out, “Knock knock!” Turning, Jemma caught sight of her entering the flat with her dress, a mug of coffee, and a paper bag in hand, her little four-months-pregnant baby bump leading the way.

“Did you bring doughnuts?” Daisy asked eagerly as she stepped out of the bathroom then, a towel wrapped around her wet hair.

Smirking, Bobbi held up the bag and explained, “Nope; this is for the future Mrs. Fitz.”

“Fitzsimmons, actually,” Jemma corrected, even as she took the bag from Bobbi. However, before opening it, she added, “Oh, and it’s ‘Doctor’.”

Both Bobbi and Daisy gave fierce rolls of their eyes at that, and Bobbi insisted, “Just open the bag, _Doctor_.”

Indulging in a little roll of her own eyes, Jemma opened the bag and reached inside, pulling out a familiar fast food cup with a chocolate sundae inside it, complete with whipped cream and cherry. The note accompanying it was written in Fitz’s scrawl, and read, “ _a memento from the first night that I started to fall for you_ ”.

“ _Oh_.” Lifting one hand to press the back of it against her mouth, Jemma blinked back the tears that instantly began to form in her eyes, letting out a watery little laugh. Even though it felt like a lifetime ago now, she could still remember that night so clearly, the first (sober) night that she’d spent with Fitz. She’d just started getting to know him then, and had begun to realize that he was truly serious about being their child’s father, about being in their lives – and that _she_ wanted him in her life.

And there they were, almost three years later to the day, _getting married_.

It was almost too much for her to wrap her mind around, truthfully, just how far they’d come together.

“You okay, Jem?” Daisy prompted a bit worriedly, crossing the kitchen to stand beside her and giving her a little nudge in the side. “You’re supposed to be saving the tears for the actual wedding, you know.” Then, however, she was quiet a moment, and had presumably been reading the note, because she added, “Okay, never mind, cry all you want – Fitz is a true romantic, isn’t he? _Damn_.”

“Yes, he is,” Jemma agreed, carefully swiping one finger beneath her eye to catch the tear that had managed to escape. “I’ve been afraid for weeks now that my vows won’t stand up against his.”

Bobbi scoffed at that, glancing up from the muffin she’d taken from the package Charlotte had brought with her, her mouth still somewhat full as she asked, “Are you kidding me? Jemma, _I_ cried when I first read your vows.”

“Yes, well…” Jemma trailed off, still not at all reassured. Regardless, though, she brushed the worries aside, instead darting a glance at the time and announcing, “Alright, if we’ve got everything we need, we should be leaving in the next five minutes.”

“I’ve got Evie,” Charlotte announced, finally returning with Evelyn no longer in her pajamas, and instead dressed in a pair of leggings and a purple shirt with a monkey on the front. In addition, there was now a very noticeable pout on her face, foretelling a possible tantrum. Gesturing to the shirt, she went on, “She said the monkey is her daddy’s favorite.”

“Aww, sweetheart,” Jemma murmured, reaching out to take Evelyn from her sister and situating her on her hip, “you’ll see Daddy very, very soon.”

“And before that, you get to wear your pretty dress,” Bobbi added, holding up said dress and giving it a little shake, to remind Evelyn of how much she’d loved wearing it when they’d gone dress shopping months ago.

Evelyn quickly lit back up at the prospect, and Jemma breathed a sigh of relief and mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Bobbi for helping to avert a possible meltdown. Fortunately, they were able to leave the flat not long after, reaching the venue with only a minor incident when Evelyn spilled a bit of the chocolate ice cream Jemma had shared with her on her t-shirt (as she’d predicted, of course); but, it didn’t stop them from getting started right away on hair and makeup as soon as they had arrived.

And, fortunately, they had subsequently decided to start with Evelyn, who promptly abandoned them as soon as the faint sound of Fitz’s voice out in the hall could be heard.

As soon as the realization then hit that Fitz was now there as well, getting ready for their wedding, which was growing closer and closer every minute, it sent a little thrill down Jemma’s spine.

The ceremony couldn’t be soon enough, in her opinion.

A little while later, Daisy was just helping Jemma into her dress, doing up the zip on the back, and couldn’t seem to stop herself from teasing, “You know, I’m fully expecting to meet _my_ future husband here, Jem, since you met yours at Hunter and Bobbi’s wedding. So, this suave and funny best man of Fitz’s that I’m beginning to think might be fake had better be a catch.”

“I assure you that he isn’t fake,” Jemma replied with a little roll of her eyes, turning away from Daisy to double-check that the back of the dress was secured in the nearby mirror.

At that moment, a knock rang through the room, and when Charlotte answered it, Jemma glanced up in time to find Trip himself entering. He had Evelyn in his arms, and his usual sunny smile spread across his face as he said by way of greeting, “Whoa girl, you look great.”

“Thank you,” Jemma replied with a little laugh.

He gave Evelyn a little bounce in his arms, earning a delighted squeal from her. “I’ve got someone here that wants to see her mommy.”

Smiling warmly in response, Jemma reached out to take Evelyn from him, dropping a light kiss on her forehead, doing her best not to do anything to ruin her makeup. “Thank you,” she repeated to Trip. Just then, though, she felt a sharp jab of an elbow in her ribs, and glanced up quickly to find Daisy raising her eyebrows pointedly at her, nodding subtly in Trip’s direction. Giving another amused roll of her eyes, she introduced to the room at large, “Everyone, this is Trip, Fitz’s friend from college and his best man. Trip, these are my friends, Daisy and Bobbi, and my sister, Charlotte.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Trip replied, giving them a little wave. To Jemma, he added, “I’ve got to get back, but I just wanted to apologize for not being here in the weeks leading up to today; I have a standing commitment every year to do work with a charity that my grandfather helped found, and I just couldn’t skip out on that.”

“No, no, it’s quite alright,” Jemma assured him, “Fitz and I understood that, and we certainly wouldn’t have wanted you to miss out on it.”

Trip offered her another one of his bright smiles then, giving them all a playful little salute before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him. It was quiet for a beat, then Daisy whispered, “ _Oh my god_.”

Chuckling, Jemma simply said, “I told you that he wasn’t fake.”

Evelyn gave her sleeve a little tug then, waiting until she had her mother’s attention before asking, “All ready?”

Giving a soft laugh, she nodded in response and murmured, “Yes, sweetheart, we’re just about all ready.”

From that moment on, the time until the ceremony was filled with people coming and going, her brother, Luke, stopped by to drop off Oliver and Grace (and to pretend that he wasn’t affected by his little sister getting married), her parents dropped by and both had shed a few tears before they left. Even Fitz’s mother made an appearance, confessing to Jemma that she’d been waiting for her to be an official part of the family for years now.

But, then, finally, the time came and the music started, and they were all lined up and waiting for the ceremony to truly begin. And, as Jemma stood in her place near the end of the aisle, waiting for her cue, there were no nerves, no fear, no worries – she knew that Fitz was waiting for her at the other end, waiting to begin the rest of their lives together, and she couldn’t _wait_.

Then, it was her turn to walk down the aisle, and from the moment that she took that first step, her eyes were locked on Fitz’s. Everyone and everything else around them just seemed to fade away, and even the music became simply background noise as her heartbeat began to thunder in her ears.

Tears rushed to fill her eyes, and an immediate and brilliant smile filled her face. Just the sight of Fitz, waiting there to marry her, after everything that they’d been through together, was enough to completely overwhelm her. But, coupled with the pure and unfiltered _love_ in his eyes, the disbelieving wonder in his parted lips, as though he simply couldn’t believe that she was marrying _him_ …

It was enough to have her tears already spilling over, before she had even reached the end of the aisle.

“Hi,” she whispered shakily when she had finally joined him in front of the minister, absently handing her bouquet off to Daisy behind her.

Fitz visibly swallowed, reaching out with trembling hands to take hers in them, managing to reply hoarsely, “Hey.”

The minister began speaking then, saying his piece for the ceremony, but Jemma guiltily found herself almost drowning it out completely, so caught up in Fitz, in his hands in hers and his beloved face so filled with adoration, and just how much she loved this man, who was about to become her husband.

And, that was why she found herself confused and a bit caught off-guard when a ripple of laughter went through the crowd of their friends and family. Before she could even try to figure out what had happened, though, she then felt a gentle tug on the skirt of her dress, and glanced down to find Evelyn at her side and holding out her tiny hand to her.

Another burst of unadulterated love swept through her then as she released Fitz’s hand in order to reach down and take Evelyn’s, this time for her beautiful, incredible, perfect daughter.

She watched as Evelyn then tugged on Fitz’s pant leg with her free hand, and he gave a watery little chuckle before taking it in his.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jemma noticed Daisy stepping forward then, as though to bring Evelyn back to where she was supposed to be holding Charlotte’s hand, but Jemma told her softly, “It’s alright.” With a nod, Daisy stepped back into place, and Jemma thought to herself then that she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t thought of including this in the wedding before.

It was perfect, of course – that day was about more than just her and Fitz getting married, and Evelyn being up there with them symbolized that better than anything else could. Even before she’d been born, it had always been about the three of them, as a family, and _that_ was what that day was truly all about.

\--

With Jemma’s hand in his right, and Evelyn’s in his left, Fitz felt as though the wedding could truly begin now with their little family complete. He listened as the minister ran through the beginning of the ceremony, addressing the two of them, asking if anyone had a reason for them not to be wed (he heard Daisy stifle a chuckle, and only had to assume that she found the idea of someone objecting to their union as ridiculous as he did), and finally prompting Jemma to recite her vows first.

Jemma dropped Fitz and Evelyn’s hands then, in order to receive a folded slip of paper from Daisy, opening it and taking a deep breath, and Fitz had to take one himself in preparation. “Fitz,” she began, her voice a bit thin with emotion, “when…when we met, I had no idea how important you were going to be to me. I had no idea that you would become the father of my daughter, and that along the way, you would become my best friend, the love of my life, and today, my husband. But, I am so grateful every day that you did, because now, I can’t imagine my life without you, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of it with you, and with Evelyn, as a family. I love you more every single day, and with every breath that I take, and I always will.”

Finished, she gave him a radiant smile, refolding the paper and handing it back to Daisy, briefly reaching up to swipe away a couple of tears from beneath her eyes before she retook Evelyn and Fitz’s hands.

And, though the minister then turned to Fitz and prompted him to recite his vows, he had to take a moment to steady himself, to try and do his level best not to be overwhelmed by how much absolute love had laced every single one of Jemma’s words.

Despite his best efforts, though, a couple of tears slipped through before he lifted his gaze to meet Jemma’s once more, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand as he cleared his throat, unsuccessfully attempting to clear it of some of the emotion lying there, thick and heavy.

“I…um, I gave a lot of thought to this,” he admitted, feeling as though no matter what he said, it wouldn’t be nearly as beautiful and meaningful as Jemma’s vows. “There are, well, there are a lot of things that I could say, things that you already know and that…truthfully, that go without saying. But, today, just…none of those seem like enough. _God_ Jemma, you…are perfect, and I couldn’t have asked for a more incredible person to spend my life with, to have children with. For as long as I’ve loved you, I have known that…there’s no way that I deserve you. I don’t. So, whenever anyone asks me if I know how lucky I am, well…I do. I really, _really_ do.”

Much to his surprise, he noticed more tears gathering in Jemma’s eyes, and as she beamed at him, she blinked and a couple of them fell down her cheeks. Gently, he released her hand and reached up to brush them away with his thumb, which only served to widen her already impossibly wide smile.

Fitz was then asked to place Jemma’s ring on her finger, and after he’d received it from Trip, he bent down to pick Evelyn up, quietly instructing her to help him slide it onto Jemma’s finger before he repeated after the minister, “With this ring, I thee wed.”

Jemma let out a watery laugh at his improvisation, even as she had to wipe away a couple more tears. He set Evelyn back down as she received his ring from Daisy, and held out his left hand for her, but had to give a laugh of his own when she retaliated by picking Evelyn up herself to help as well (who looked absolutely _delighted_ to be helping Mummy and Daddy get married). “With this ring, I thee wed,” she repeated, catching his gaze as the ring slid into place on his finger and sending a burst of emotion straight through his body.

And then, the minister announced, “With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” and they were right up there with Evelyn’s first word (and the first time she said ‘dada’) and the first time that Jemma told him that she loved him as some of the most incredible words that Fitz had ever heard. Turning to him, the minister finished, “You may kiss the bride.”

His eyes once more only for Jemma, Fitz took a half-step closer to her, lifting a hand to cradle her cheek tenderly and sliding his free arm around her waist, where she was still holding Evelyn. Then, he leaned in and found Jemma’s lips with his, and they’d kissed thousands of times by then, but this…this kiss was different, because it was the first kiss they would ever share with as husband and wife.

And for that reason alone, it was simple and absolute _perfection_.

\--

Fitz had been her husband for roughly an hour now, and Jemma still couldn’t quite believe it. She had to keep glancing down at her left hand to check and see if her wedding ring was still there, that she wasn’t just dreaming this utterly perfect day up.

However, it was all still completely and thankfully real, and she knew that Fitz had said that he didn’t deserve her (which was downright _rubbish_ , as far as she was concerned) and that he was lucky to have her, but just then, she certainly felt like it was the other way around. Some days, she still wasn’t even quite sure how she’d managed to stumble into a relationship with the kindest, sweetest, most caring man on the face of the planet – she wasn’t about to question it, though.

“I can’t believe you’re my wife,” Fitz murmured suddenly, leaning over from his chair at their table at the reception to press a loving kiss to her temple.

Smiling to herself at the way that their thoughts always somehow seemed to be in sync, Jemma turned to catch his lips with hers, whispering against them, “I can’t believe you’re my husband.”

“ _Aaand,_ that’s my cue to get out of here,” Daisy announced, breaking into their moment and causing them both to glance over at her as she rose from her seat beside Jemma’s. “I get that this is your wedding, but I can only take so much of the love fest.” She paused at the end of the table though, waggling her eyebrows at Jemma as she told her, “I’m gonna go see if Trip’s up for a drink – after all, you guys have inspired me.” She had only taken a handful of steps away, however, before she turned back and added, “Though, as much as I love Evie to bits, I could totally do without the getting knocked up part.”

Rolling her eyes, Jemma finally just waved her off, telling her teasingly, “Get out here already.”

With a smirk and blowing them a kiss, Daisy then strode off to find Trip, leaving the two of them alone at the table, all of the other members of the wedding party off mingling with the other guests or getting drinks from the bar.

“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Fitz said, reaching out to find Jemma’s hand with his, his thumb seeming to drift automatically toward her wedding ring. “Just three years ago, that was us. We were perfect strangers –”

“Perfect strangers that decided to get smashed together at their friends’ wedding, regardless of the consequences,” Jemma finished, laughing lightly as she arched an eyebrow at him.

He made a bit of a face at the reminder, and no doubt at her dumping a bucket of cold water on his romantic sentiment. “Alright, yeah, that’s all true. But, if it led us here, then it’s still the best damn decision that I’ve ever made.”

“Me too,” she agreed softly, leaning into him for another kiss, then resting her forehead against his with a content sigh.

“Heads up, you guys,” Bobbi’s voice broke into the moment that time, “you’re going to need to separate for at least a few seconds to get up there and have your first dance in a couple minutes.”

Reluctantly, Jemma leaned back from Fitz, but he gently tugged her to her feet without letting her put much distance between them, and he replied to Bobbi with a grin, “Now, who says we need to separate to do that?”

Even as Bobbi rolled her eyes at him, she gave a little laugh, heading off toward the bar, no doubt to try and wrangle Hunter away from it. Fitz then led Jemma out onto the wooden dance floor set up on the grassy area of the park where they were holding their reception, the glow of the twinkle lights strung up above them glinting off of it in the gathering darkness.

He’d just taken her in his arms when he paused and said, “Wait, there’s something missing.”

Already thinking the same thing, Jemma half-turned away from him, easily picking out Evelyn where she was perched on Fitz’s mother’s lap. But, with an encouraging wave of Jemma’s hand in their direction, Evelyn came racing toward them, only to be scooped up into Fitz’s arms and onto his hip. “Now it’s perfect,” Jemma murmured, leaning back into Fitz and wrapping one arm around both him and Evelyn.

“Perfect,” Fitz agreed, just as the music they’d chosen for their first dance began to spill from the speakers set up nearby.

Jemma let her head fall to rest on Fitz’s shoulder, her fingers absently stroking through Evelyn’s hair (which had long since come undone from the undo they’d put it in for the ceremony), and she couldn’t help her little sigh of utter contentment.

It was fitting, she thought then, that their story had begun at a wedding, all those years ago now, and that they were closing one chapter and beginning another that day, with their own wedding.

Fitz had been right, of course, about how they’d been perfect strangers back then. Though it seemed almost impossible now, Jemma hadn’t even known Fitz then, and it was only now, looking back, that she could see how her life had had little else to it besides work and the occasional Friday night out with her friends. She’d never even noticed that anything was missing, however, until Fitz and Evelyn had come along, and now, she wouldn’t go back for absolutely _anything_.

And there, at her wedding to the man who had become so _much_ to her, with her new husband and their daughter – her _family_ , finally officially – in her arms on the first night of their forever, Jemma thought back to that first moment that she’d found out that she was pregnant, as strange as it seemed.

She could still remember the fear that had filled her, knowing that she was pregnant by a man that she barely knew, knowing that she was going to have a baby that she hadn’t planned for. At that time, she had never expected in her wildest dreams that it would end up like this, had never imagined falling so deeply in love with someone that she’d had a drunken one night stand with at her friend’s wedding, and that he would one day come to mean everything to her.

But, life sometimes had a funny way of surprising you with everything that you never knew you wanted in the way that you least expected it, Jemma supposed.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me on tumblr - I'm theartofbeinganerd over there as well!


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